Chapter 774: Primordial Magnetic Five Finger Mountain
Qin Mu heard this voice and was both surprised and delighted. He called out loudly, "Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha! Li Youran!"
The self-pitying voice suddenly stopped. After a moment, Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha's wary voice came: "Who is it?"
"It's me! Qin Mu!"
Qin Mu said excitedly, "The one who stormed the Buddhist realm and made you take the blame!"
After a moment, Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha walked out from the ruined city. He still looked like a young monk, barefoot, walking through the dilapidated ruins without a speck of dust touching him.
It was undeniable that there were many handsome men, but few could surpass Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha.
This monk had an impressive appearance, with layers of light wheels and flames behind his head, his countenance solemn and dignified.
"So it's Layman Qin."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "Why are you here? Just now, the Great Ruins underwent a drastic change, with many folded spaces suddenly appearing. Was that your doing?"
Qin Mu shook his head. "It wasn't me. It was Granny Si from our village... She used a Primordial Magnetic divine ability, which stirred the remnant soul of Earth Mother Primordial Lord, causing the Primordial Realm of that era to reappear in the world."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha said in surprise, "Granny Si from your village? Such a formidable person—I must meet her."
Qin Mu blinked, his smile pure and innocent. "Why is King Buddha here? I just saw Red Emperor Qi Xiayu's Phoenix Ship and heard her zither music coming from the city. Red Emperor Qi Xiayu seems to be reminiscing about the old days of the Sovereign Era."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha smiled. "A woman from the Bai family just arrived and scared her away. That Bai family woman was someone from the old Sovereign Heavenly Court. I encountered her during the Kaicheng Era. Red Emperor was once a minister of the Sovereign Court but surrendered to the Outer Heavenly Court, so she dared not face an old acquaintance."
Qin Mu continued, "Red Emperor Qi Xiayu chased King Buddha all the way from the twenty heavens of the Buddhist realm to the ruins of the thirty-three heavens of Kaicheng. I originally thought King Buddha would suffer all kinds of torment and humiliation, but I see you don't have a single wound on you. You look radiant and healthy. I find it quite remarkable."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha said, "During the Kaicheng Era, that Bai family woman came looking for a young man surnamed Qin who was skilled in swordsmanship. Unfortunately, her search was fruitless, and Kaicheng didn't help her find that young man either."
Qin Mu said, "What fate brings necks to entwine like mandarin ducks, soaring together in harmony? Has King Buddha returned to secular life these days? Are you called Li Youran now?"
Imperial Heavenly Lord listened in a fog, completely baffled.
Although these two seemed to have a good relationship, the moment they met, it was like enemies crossing paths—they went out of their way to expose each other's scars, tearing them open with relish while feeling a pang of pain, yet also finding joy in it.
Finally, Qin Mu and Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha stopped exposing each other's scars. They each laughed it off and made peace, as harmonious as when they first met.
"King Buddha, how's your blame?" Qin Mu asked with concern.
"Still carrying it."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha said, "Fortunately, it was Red Emperor chasing me. She at least gave me a chance to survive. But I heard the Heavenly Court is planning to send other experts to capture me and extract the old Buddha's Imperial Throne technique from my mouth. The blame the old Buddha put on me is steady and solid. How's yours?"
"I've got a few more pots." Qin Mu said.
The two couldn't help but feel a mutual sympathy, sharing a sense of shared suffering.
"Red Emperor chased me all the way here. Luckily, she was startled away by that Bai family woman, or I would have been captured and ruined half my cultivation."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha looked at Imperial Heavenly Lord and asked curiously, "Who is this young benefactor?"
"He is Lan Yutian."
Qin Mu didn't elaborate further. "Another Overlord Body, very smart, no less than me. I was entrusted to take care of him and guide his cultivation. He learns everything quickly and progresses rapidly in his cultivation. King Buddha, I plan to visit old acquaintances in the Great Ruins to help the people. Since you're here, would you like to join me? You can also teach Lan Yutian some basic Buddhist runes."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do I know these old acquaintances you're visiting?"
Qin Mu shook his head. "No, they're just ordinary villagers in the Great Ruins."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha relaxed and said, "Healing the wounded and saving the dying is the duty of Buddhism. I'll go with you."
Qin Mu also breathed a sigh of relief. The three traveled together, and Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha taught Imperial Heavenly Lord the basic Buddhist runes. After a while, he couldn't help but marvel, "Layman Qin, is this Benefactor Lan really an Overlord Body? His speed in learning basic Buddhist runes is even faster than yours!"
Qin Mu's face darkened.
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha grew more and more fond of Imperial Heavenly Lord as he watched him and said, "If the old Buddha were here, he would surely be willing to pass on the Imperial Throne technique to him. Why do you only let me teach him basic runes? I've also learned the old Buddha's Imperial Throne technique. I'll teach it to him."
Qin Mu quickly said, "No. That would ruin a good seedling. Not only must you not teach him any techniques, but you can't even teach him divine abilities! No divine repositories, no heavenly palaces—none of that! Only teach him principles!"
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha didn't understand his meaning but still followed his request and taught Imperial Heavenly Lord Buddhist runes.
Buddhist runes were called Sanskrit, a language system created by Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha. The pronunciation and words of this language carried the rhythm of the Dao, similar to ancient divine script.
Lan Yutian learned very quickly, drawing inferences from one example, which amazed Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha.
However, he soon noticed that although Lan Yutian was very smart, he seemed a bit foolish.
"It seems like something is missing from his soul."
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha, being well-traveled, quickly identified Lan Yutian's problem and said, "His soul is somewhat unstable, and there are other scattered parts of his soul outside."
They walked out of this ancient battlefield when suddenly the earth shook violently, the ground split open, and a stone statue of a divine beast rose from the depths. It grew higher and higher, and spring water gushed out from underground. The water increased rapidly, soon forming a great river in front of them.
The divine beast statue was half-submerged in the spring water, with the other half exposed.
"A demigod, a Water Qilin!"
Qin Mu stopped. He saw the demigod stone statue in the river rapidly transforming, the stone patterns on its body peeling away. Soon it regained its flesh and blood, suddenly shook its head, flicked its mane, and soared into the sky on a surge of water!
The great river below rose into the air with the demigod, landing beneath its feet.
The Water Qilin demigod stood on the river surface in the sky, ripples flowing over its body. The next moment, it stood upright, transforming into a demigod with a qilin head and a human body. The mane on its body turned into blue clothing, its aura wild and untamed.
"The Earth Mother is calling us. Hurry!"
The Water Qilin demigod's furry ears twitched. Just as it was about to leave, it suddenly caught sight of Qin Mu and the other two. It laughed, "I've been dormant until now and haven't eaten any rations in a long time. I'm famished. These three are a bit small, but they'll do to fill my stomach!"
The river beneath its feet surged and descended toward Qin Mu and the others. Controlling great bodies of water was an innate instinct for it.
However, judging by its ability to transform into a half-human, half-divine form, it was also a cultivator among the demigods, having already trained in the divine repository system.
The water surged with immense force. In terms of water-based divine abilities, this demigod's skill rivaled that of Blind from back in the day!
Qin Mu glanced at Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha, who paid no attention to the demigod and continued teaching Imperial Heavenly Lord.
Qin Mu had no choice. He pointed a finger, and his sword orb shot into the sky, heading straight for the great river!
The sword orb crashed into the river, and suddenly sword light burst forth, splitting the river in two. The two halves of the great river roared past the three of them.
"Oh? A cultivator."
The Water Qilin demigod laughed, "Not bad skills. But that's all you've got!"
The two halves of the river spun around, flanking them from both sides. Countless water swords were hidden within the roaring currents, invisible to the naked eye.
The river was incredibly heavy. The weight of a great river far exceeded that of Qin Mu's sword orb, which was forged from divine metals like Buddhist Essence and Red Chrome. This Water Qilin demigod's ability to control such a heavy river meant its magical power likely far surpassed that of human cultivators.
Qin Mu's expression turned serious. He suddenly opened his fist, and the sword orb clanged as it disassembled into countless flying swords. They spun around him, darting and thrusting, cutting through the water swords hidden in the river.
The Water Qilin demigod's magical power shook Qin Mu's energy, making it somewhat chaotic. Its cultivation was formidable, putting Qin Mu on alert.
He had fought demigods from the early Dragon Han Era. During the battle at the Jade Pool, he had killed many demigods under Heavenly Lord Hao's command. But back then, the demigods hadn't yet begun cultivating the divine repository system. Heavenly Lord Hao had only just solved the problem of demigods transforming into humans.
This Water Qilin demigod, however, was a divine beast from the Sovereign Era. The demigod cultivation system was already complete. In terms of both magical power and physical body, it far surpassed humans, making it a terrifying opponent!
When the Water Qilin demigod saw Qin Mu block its attacks twice, it was surprised. Suddenly, it reached out, grabbed the great river, and shook it violently. The vast waters merged into a single long whip. It swung the whip down at Qin Mu, laughing, "Not bad strength. Almost on par with me. Rare, rare! After being dormant for so long, I wake up to find an opponent worth testing my skills against!"
Qin Mu moved. His figure shot through the air, charging straight at the demigod, meeting the whip head-on.
The sword orb spun wildly in front of him, countless beams of sword light humming as they shot out. The rotating sword light sliced through the whip, and the water whip dissolved into a flood, surging and crashing into the forests on both sides.
Qin Mu sprinted forward, dispersing the water whip in a few moments and reaching the Water Qilin demigod.
The qilin-headed, human-bodied demigod was startled. It quickly retreated, raising wave after wave of water that thundered up to block Qin Mu's path.
Boom, boom, boom! A series of loud crashes rang out as the water waves exploded one by one. The last wave burst apart, and countless flying swords brushed past the demigod's body, clanging as they embedded themselves into the cliff behind it.
Boom!
A dull sound echoed as the qilin-headed, human-bodied demigod slammed into the cliff. The pattern formed by the embedded flying swords perfectly fit its body.
Just as it was about to climb down from the cliff, Qin Mu's hand pressed against its face. He exerted force, smashing the demigod's head into the mountain!
The mountain crumbled like tofu. The demigod's body plunged straight into the cliff, leaving only its thick tail exposed.
Qin Mu grabbed the tail and yanked, pulling the demigod out of the mountain. He swung it and slammed it down.
The earth trembled as the demigod smashed a large crater into the ground.
The demigod was still alive. It quickly got to its feet, but Qin Mu's five fingers curled downward as he pressed down in the air: "Primordial Magnetic Five Finger Mountain!"
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
Five thunderous sounds rang out, as if five Sumeru Mountains were pressing down. The earth rumbled and sank violently. The demigod was forced to its knees in the deepening pit. Its body crackled under the pressure, blood streaming everywhere. It involuntarily revealed its true form, prostrating on the ground, and cried out, "I surrender! Don't kill me—"
Qin Mu descended from the air. The countless flying swords merged back into a sword orb in front of him, which flew into the Taotie pouch at his waist.
Imperial Raksha Heavenly King Buddha led Imperial Heavenly Lord over and smiled, "Your skills have improved quite a bit. That Five Finger Mountain just now—was that a Primordial Magnetic divine ability?"
"I learned the Primordial Magnetic runes from Granny and just now comprehended my own Primordial Magnetic divine ability."
Qin Mu looked at the demigod in the pit and asked, "You said the Earth Mother is calling you. What does that mean? Isn't Earth Mother Primordial Lord dead?"
The Water Qilin was pinned down and unable to move. It called out, "How could Earth Mother Primordial Lord be so easily obliterated? I woke from my slumber and heard Earth Mother's call, without a doubt! Besides me, all demigods will hear the Earth Mother's summons."
Qin Mu frowned slightly. "All demigods?"
Suddenly, he looked up and saw streaks of golden light flying across the sky, blotting out the sun. They were a group of massive bird-headed, human-bodied demigods, their wings stretching across the heavens, moving at incredible speed.
Then, the mountains and forests shook. Countless giant beasts were charging through the woods, all running in the same direction!
—The first anniversary of The Legend of the Shepherd God! Let's celebrate!
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The Legend of the Shepherd God has been online for a whole year now. Time flies.
In the book, forty thousand years pass like a song, and while Zhai Zhu hasn't had such a long span since uploading The Legend of the Shepherd God on Qidian, he still feels the days slipping by, equally like a song!
Thank you to all the readers for your support and companionship during this song-like year.
Without you, and your subscriptions, tips, recommendations, monthly votes, comments, and chapter discussions, Zhai Zhu really doesn't know what joy there would be in writing.
I am a writer, and a writer's greatest joy is every reader's evaluation. Oh, and of course, the monthly royalties, hehe.
Today is the first anniversary of The Legend of the Shepherd God. When it was first uploaded, Zhai Zhu never imagined it would become so popular, let alone across all platforms—Qidian, QQ, browsers, WeChat, even UC, external sites, and pirated versions. It's all so popular.
I was shocked, truly shocked.
Zhai Zhu just wanted to write a story, a good story, one that could delight readers and myself, showcasing the righteousness and ambitions of the characters. Then, with the readers' joy, support, tips, and subscriptions, I could make a living. That's enough.
Readers are my patrons. On the first anniversary of The Legend of the Shepherd God, Zhai Zhu thanks all my patrons for their support!
Thank you to Crazy Little Bird for the Silver Alliance Master tip, thank you to Maple Leaf Forest Story for the tip, and thank you all for your long-standing support!
A year has passed. Zhai Zhu will continue to forge ahead, striving to write even better stories!